Lakers Injury Report: LA Starter Ruled Out vs Spurs in NBA Cup Clash

Los Angeles will miss a key contributor.

Dec 15, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) while defended by Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James (23) and Rui Hachimura (28) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers starting forward Rui Hachimura has been ruled out for Friday night's critical NBA Cup clash against the San Antonio Spurs with a right ankle sprain, per the NBA's latest injury report.

This is not entirely a surprise, as it broke earlier this afternoon that the 6-foot-8 vet had seen his status downgraded to doubtful ahead of the contest.

Read More: Crucial Los Angeles Starter Downgraded For Spurs Matchup

Head coach JJ Redick has opted to get a bit smaller with his starting lineup, inserting rookie shooting guard Dalton Knecht in his first five, per the Lakers' official X account:

First five @ToyotaSoCal | #SuitingUpTogether pic.twitter.com/8mEzulSnh0

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 16, 2024

Knecht will join incumbent starters Austin Reaves (playing the point, having been shifted over a spot when Redick demoted D'Angelo Russell to his bench for some microwave scoring), swingman Cam Reddish (who was elevated into the starting lineup to replace Reaves at the two-guard spot, but given his size and length will probably shift over to a small forward role), and All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Big men Jaxson Hayes (left ankle sprain), Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) and Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery recovery) remain unavailable. Given that Hachimura can occasionally be used as a small-ball five, it seems likely that Redick will lean even a bit more heavily on 7-foot-1 two-way center Christian Koloko to primarily spell starting center Davis, with James perhaps being forced to play a little back-up center as well.

Hachimura, 26, has enjoyed a perhaps-unsustainably stellar shooting start to his 2024-25 NBA season. The Gonzaga product is averaging 12.7 points on .421/.500/.826 shooting splits (that 50 percent 3-point rate arrives on a solid 3.6 triple tries a night), 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks a night across his 10 contests with the 7-4 club, all starts.

After he enjoyed an excellent playoff performance with Los Angeles during its run to the Western Conference Finals, it was surprising to see then-head coach Darvin Ham toggle him between starting and bench roles throughout the subsequent 2023-24 season. It eventually became apparent that Hachimura deserved to start, even though he and James are both ostensibly power forwards. This season, there was never a question of how Redick was going to deploy Hachimura, especially with Vanderbilt already out to start the year.

Second-year Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who seems doomed to be trade bait this season, is also out with left groin soreness. He's not a part of Redick's rotation.

On the Spurs side, power forward Jeremy Sochan is out with a left thumb proximal phalanx surgery, guard Tre Jones is on the shelf with a right ankle sprain, and two-way players David Duke Jr., Harrison Ingram and Riley Minix are all with San Antonio's NBAGL affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

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